Top 5 Movie Gun Fights

Gun fights are sweet. That’s about all there is to it. So here’s a top five!

Whether it’s a technical display of cinematography like Hard Boiled, a visual spectacle like John Wick or just a balls out, bombastic display of improbability like Shoot ’em Up (seriously, that movie is insane!), gun fights make great cinema.

Over the years, gunfights have evolved from cowboys blowing each other away on the prairie. Audience tastes, the advantages of special effects, and outstanding choreography have made our modern gunfights more viscerally satisfying.

So, here’s our top 5 gunfights!

5. Cap vs. Minigun

Even superhero movies have gunfights. Although Captain America: The Winter Soldier is not really a superhero movie. It’s an espionage thriller full of intrigue, more a Bourne movie than a Spider-Man movie.

As such, we get treated to some super-powered action as the mysterious Winter Soldier, a.k.a. Cap’s best friend Bucky (SPOILER ALERT!), chases down Captain America and crew.

4. Django vs. Candyland

Tarantino movies are notorious for their violence. But you don’t get much more blood splattered across the screen than when Django takes on Candyland.

Befriended and trained as a bounty hunter by a mysterious German, Django embarks on a quest to rescue his wife from the clutches of Leonardo DiCaprio. When Schultz succumbs to the temptation to kill Candy, Django is left to fend for himself. Fortunately, he has plenty of guns!

3. El Mariachi

Hey look, it’s Tarantino getting shot in the head! The glorious Desperado is the tale of a musician-turned-vigilante loading up a guitar case with guns to avenge his lady love.

There’s something fantastic about the way Mariachi dances across the bar, firing his guns like they’re castanets.

2. The Lobby Scene

“We need guns. Lots of guns.”

You certainly do, Neo! Shooting up the lobby is going to take a lot of hardware. When Neo and Trinity bust in to rescue Morpheus from Agent Smith, it turns into the worst day of the security guards’ lives.

It’s amazing to think about how action movies changed after The Matrix came out. In the early/mid 2000s, it seemed that every action film was trying to imitate, mock or reference the look and feel of The Matrix.

1. The Bank Job

This scene from Heat is widely considered to be the greatest gun fight ever. The gunplay is extraordinarily accurate to real life. The stakes are clear to both sides and the actors take cover realistically too, making the whole scene seem grounded in gritty realism.

So that’s our top five gunfights. What about you? Share your favourite on our Facebook page.